Empodisma L.A.S.Johnson & D.F.Cutler

Herbs, dioecious, perennial, caespitose or rhizomatous, the base mostly with well-developed white upwardly-growing cluster-roots. Culms thin and wiry, often forming compact or tangled masses, repeatedly branched and often flexuose, glabrous. Culm sheaths persistent, with a short reflexed or spreading lamina. Male spikelets mostly solitary, sessile in the axils of upper sheaths, 1-or several-flowered; glumes 1–10, with a short acute awn. Female spikelets solitary, axillary, 1-flowered; glumes 1–3. Male flowers with 6 membranous tepals, stamens 3, anthers exserted. Female flowers with 4 or 6 tepals, ovary 1-locular, style branches 3, shortly united. Fruit a small ovoid or obovoid nut shed with enclosing perianth. Culm anatomy: chlorenchyma of 1 layer of elongated peg-cells, not interrupted, central cavity present.

Moist sites, in bogs, swamps and wet heaths on oligotrophic sandy or peaty soils.

The cluster roots and culms of Empodisma form restiad peat, which has been mined in some large bogs in Australia and New Zealand (Clarkson et al. 2016).